Concrete repair technology - a revised approach is needed

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Concrete repair technology - a revised approach is needed

Vaysburd, A. M.; Emmons, P. H.; Mailvaganam, N. P.; McDonald, J. E.;

Bissonnette, B.

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Conc re t e re pa ir t e c hnology - a re vise d a pproa c h is ne e de d

N R C C - 4 6 8 9 0

V a y s b u r d , A . M . ; E m m o n s , P . H . ; M a i l v a g a n a m ,

N . P . ; M c D o n a l d , J . E . ; B i s s o n n e t t e , B .

J a n u a r y 2 0 0 4

A version of this document is published in / Une version de ce document se trouve dans:

Concrete International, 26, (1), January, pp. 59-65, January 01, 2004

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Point of view

BY ALEXANDER M. VAYSBURD, PETER H. EMMONS, NOEL P. MAILVAGANAM, JAMES E. MCDONALD, AND BENOIT BISSONNETTE

it_i; I'_I II

I

I

conerete Internauonal / JANUARY2004 59

ACJ Past President HerbertJ Gilkey (1950)

authors have analyzed some common problems with concrete repairs, explored issues that must be investigated further, and attemptedtoprovide

revised opinions on various concrete repair issues.

Various factors have impeded improvements in the durability of concrete repairs, including: inadequate condition evaluation and design; lack of quality construction practices and quality control; and the choiceofrepair materials (that may be incompatible with the existing substrate). It is necessary to recon-sider some recent viewpoints about concrete repairsifwe wish to extend their service lives.

Because the subjectofthis article is devotedto"what is wrong" and what the confusing issues are, we should first discuss several key Issues in an attempttoestablish the facts. This

I

poor performance, and, most of

all, repair failures have tarnished the publlc's Imageofconcrete. Repair failures and endless "repairof

repairs" make a substantial contribution

tothe current perception of concrete. Concrete often gets a bad name because premature repair failure is one of the most visible manifestations

ofpoor design decisions and details, and inadequate field practice (Fig. I). Concerned with the current stateof

concrete repair technology, the authors wrote this article in an attempt to improve the performance of repaired structures. Todoso, the

"Just as walking is but a succession of interrupted falls, the entire history of human progress is a succession of stumbling half-truths and misinterpreted facts. The 'accepted facts' of today become the 'recognized fallacies' of tomorrow. "

Concrete Repair

Technolouv-ARevised Approach

article covers a broad field, hopefully in a thought-provoking manner. One should fully reallze, however, that an attempt to deliver comprehensive analysis and offer solutions to concrete repair problems In one article is too ambitious and quite an impossible task. Let's share, however, Aristotle's view that a plausible impossibility is always preferable to an unconvincing possibility.

A COMPLEX PROBLEM

Concrete deterioration is a complex problem that requires the designer to understand concrete's micro-structure (for diffusion of chemical species) and its macrostructure (for permeation through cracks and damage). The heterogeneity of the components in a composite repaired structure requires an understanding of the interaction of the existing materials and the repair materials. In addition, it is also important to understand that the durability of the repair is a function not only of its basic components, but also how such components (and the system as a whole) respond to the exposure conditions of the structure. The durability of a repaired concrete structure depends on its ability to resist a variety of chemical and physical agents that attack all parts of the composite structure with different degrees of intensity, externally and internally.

There is a need for increased knowledge in many of the research studies, design practices, and construction practice in the concrete repair field. Too often, product developers do not pay sufficlent attention to the needs of the marketplace. As a consequence, some materials are often being developed and marketed without there being demands from the field. lf the "hit-or-miss" methods often used In concrete repair were applied to new construction, one wonders what would happen to some of our structures.

Analyses of failures of new and repaired sturctures around the world clearly demonstrates that materials contribute less to the problem, whereas design and in-place workmanship are more influential. The basic principies that affect repair durability are widely known, but very little is being done to improve durability. More often than not, many believe that the simple answer to the repair problems is improving the compressive strength of the concrete or accelerating its strength gain.

REPAIR MATERIALS

Aswe have accelerated the pace of concrete

construction, we have required cement-based materials to become stronger sooner and to set faster. At the same time, we've increased concrete's brittleness and reduced its resistance to cracking. We have damaged concrete's "Immune system." Concrete that continues to hydrate offers Increased resistance to aggressive agents. The "old-time" concrete used to gain strength, denslty,and the ability to resist environmental attack over its service

life; "new" concrete does not.

60 JANUARY 2004 / concroto Intornotlonol

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PROCESSING MANUFACTURE

Fig.2:Levels of Influence on material performance

There has been unquestionable progress made in the field of repair materials. But the material that has the required properties for a particular application is only one part of the complex system that makes up a concrete repair. A repair material has value only when it permits an engineered product-a concrete structure-to fulfill its intended use, its function.Itmeans that any

consider-ations of material needs, innovat'ions, and performance

must relate to the performance of the final engineering product (Fig. 2).

Because repair failures may lead us to believe that the material didn't perform weil, the repair solution is often focused on "better materials." But what is a better material? Experience cleariy demonstrates that conditions that impair the effectiveness of a repair material in one structure would not necessarily impair the effectiveness of that same material in another structure.

Repairs correct deterioration or distress that affects a structure's serviceability or aesthetics. In major structure rehabilitation, many repairs are on a scale where

structural integrity becomes significant and it is necessary to ensure the transfer of load between the concrete substrate and the repair. With such repairs, problems may arise fairly quickly because of the different properties of the repair material and the concrete SUbstrate.

Differences between repair materials and existing concrete that can affect repair durability include:

• Shrinkage of the repair material relative to the concrete substrate;

• Thermal expansion or contraction differences between the repair material and concrete substrate;

• Differences In stiffness and Poisson's ratio causing unequal load sharing and strains resulting in interface

stresses;

• Differences in creep properties of repair material and the concrete being repaired; and

• Relative fatigue perforII\ance of the components In the composite repaired structure.

Such differences may result in Initial tensile strains that either crack the repair material or cause debonding

1

TABLE

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS OF PATCH REPAIR MATERIALS FOR STRUCTURAL COMPATIBILlTY*

"'Emberson, N.K.,and Mays, G.C., 1990, "Significance of Property Mismatch in the Patch Repair of Structural Concrete. Part 1: Properties of Repair Systems,"Magazine of Concrete Research, No. 152, Sept., pp. 147-160.

at the repair-substrate interface. Both of these results may reduce the load-carring capacity and durability of the structure. Therefore, selecting the appropriate material for the repair is imperative. Table 1 lists the properties generally required of repair materials when compared with the concrete substrate to produce long-term structurally efficient repairs.'

The lack of widely agreed upon methods of testing leaves repair materials subject to a limited evaluation that is driven more by manufacturers than by users. All too frequently only the isolated properties of repair materials are emphasized, whereas the more important properties of the composite are neglected. The authors feet that testing of the composite repair under simulated field conditions is more appropriate.

DESIGN AND FIELD PRACTICE

The concrete industry could learn a lot from concrete repair failures ifadequate information was available. Unfortunately, it seems that oniy catastrophic structural failures (resulting from inferior design and poor quality materials and workmanship) are publicized. Information about other repair failures, although they may be serious and extremely costly, is not generally available. A better understanding of the initial factors and properties affecting the performance of repaired structures Is critical to the longevity of a repair. Because data on

causes of concrete repair failures do not exist, let us take a look at the results of various analyses of damage in concrete construction.

The British Cement Association reviewed factors that contributed to the failure of structures. They found the following attributes corresponded to the respective percent of failures:'

• 11.6%, low cover; • 38.5%, environment;

• 15.8%, poor quality concrete; • 7.2%, poor quality detailing; • 4.2%, poor workmanship; • 1.5%, wrong specification;

• 7.7%, failure of joint/waterproofing; • 0.5%, inadequate conceptual design; and • 13%, wrong material selection.

In France, information available from insurance records about the nature and cost of defects In buildings

reveals:3

• 37% of defects occurred in design; and • 51% of defects occurred in construction.

The Technological Research Center, LABEIN, Investi-gated pathologies of bridges of the Biscay region of Spain. Five-hundred ten bridges were inspected, including 352 concrete bridges.' In the bridges that required repairs, the damage causes, in order of importance, were: • Wrong project achievement;

• Lack of maintenance; and • Project errors.

The Swiss examined information available on 800 failures showing:'

• 37% of defects occurred In design;

• 39% of defects were attributable to the contractor; and • 8% of defects were attributable to the architect.

The ACI survey of faults ilt concrete construction in North America revealed:'

• 57% of defects occurred in design; and • 50% of defects occurred in construction.

The total of 107% is due to the multiple errors associated with the same failures.

King' showed that 99% of quality-related defects were due to poor design, detailing, specifications, workman-ship, and management. Other factors, including materials, account for the remaining 1%. At the global level, one can conclude that even with substantial advances in the field of repair materials, the industry wiil still have an unacceptable high level of defects and failures.

ACI Past President George Hoff stated: "In this era when there Is a great push in our industry for improved construction materials and practices, it will do us no good to have technology that provides 'high-performance concrete' (buzzwords of the early 1990s) if we don't have 'high-performance people' to implement this technology.'"

A lack of attention to detail in design, poor in-place workmanship, and inadequate quality control cause the majority of faults and problems in the concrete repair field (as well as in new construction). Adequate attention needs to be given during the condition evaluation phase of the project, but it is often ignored. Repairing concrete is somewhat analogous to the treatment of disease. Before remedies can be correctly prescribed, the iilness has to be diagnosed, and before the accurate diagnosis is possible, the doctor has to have a thorough knowledge of the disease and its various symptoms and treatments. The concrete "doctor" needs similar knowledge to prescribe successful treatments for troubled structures.

It may be shocklng to observe a professional structural engineer who has a limited knowledge of cement-based materials. It must be clear to an engineer that overstress is always the cause of cracking produced in materials, regardless of what factors induced the stress in excess of the material's strength.

It also must be recognized and understood that a repair is not a Band-Ald@ that simply covers a concrete structure problem. This incorrect view lends credence to the prevailing viewpoint that concrete repair is so simple that anyone can do it. Most U.S. construction can be characterIzed as "low-bid, hard-dollar contracting," and, as anEngineering News-Recordeditorial of December 1, 1988, stated, "Clients that want cheap will get cheap.'" The cost to design and construct repairs for durabIlity is minimal when compared with the cost of repairing a

62 JANUARY 2004/OoncrotelntemBUonBI

prematurely deteriorated, already-repaired structure. When addressing problems with repair technology one must also mention the habitual use of outmoded specifications for concrete repair. How good should the repair material be to serve the intended purpose? Supposedly, the most cogent answers should be found in the specifications for a particular project. But, how many specifications list a drying shrinkage limit instead of a slump and an 8000 psi (55 MPa) compressive strength?

Design details and specifications are usually a mixture of referenced standards and "cut and paste" clauses from previous projects. The old adage "a little knowledge is dangerous" is often evidenced by the engineer's specifications and his or her on-site direction. Adding to poor workmanship are the specifications, which are in legal language and make frequent reference to the "direction" of the engineer. This uncertainty makes sound bidding nearly impossible and may later place the contractor in an unfair unilateral situation.

It is also very troubling the way we often do things with regard to concrete repair, sometimes making very questionable assumptions (for simplicity) and then applying high precision requirements. Is 4.5% versus 4% air entrainment so critical for durabilIty in Alabama as to refuse a truckload of ready mixed concrete, and as a result to have a cold joint? Imagine what happens to a smooth placing operation when it is Interrupted while waiting for another truckload of concrete. Yet such extremes have been required in the mistaken belief that such actions wiil better ensure the excellence of the repair. Is it really worse to remove and replace the overlay or surface repairifa pull-off bond test result at 28 days is only 135 psi (930 kPa) instead of the specified 150 psi (1030 kPa)? Keep in mind that the precision of the puil-off test is about ±15%. Are we concerned about the short-term bond property or long-short-term interfacial coexistence, which has very littie relationship to short-term bond? These are just two examples from a nearly endless list.

The engineer Is also under economic pressure. This pressure may deter engineers from presenting the client with a sound remedial solution based on sound judgment. The engineer has an obligation to the profession and to the client to offer the most promising design solution within the reasonable limits of the economy. The choice of the best alternative must be the engineer's alone, and the responsibility of the efficiency of the work is also the engineer's alone:

Construction practices and workmanship bring us to the problems associated with the people who actually make and repair concrete. Artisans and supervisors are truly the backbone of the concrete repair industry, and unless they are skiiled, a great part of the time and money spent in condition evaluation, design, and materials manufacturing is wasted. There is an urgent need for technical training and skiils improvement of

Fig.3:Concrete repairs are a complex system of materials exposed to exterior and Interior environments and their Interaction

field personnel. The use of adequate design and "good" materials Is of critical importance, but they are not enough without proper execution.

RESEARCH--PIlOBlEMSAND OPPORnlNmES

Research has substantially improved our knowledge of cementltlous materials, the fundamentals of concrete deterioration from carbonation-Induced corrosion, chloride-Induced corrosion, sulfate attack, alkali-aggregate reaction, and frost. Several research studies In the repair field have been concerned with the improvement of properties of repair materials and their dimensional behavior relative to the existing substrate. But these activities wllliead to improvements in repair durability only if the issues of electrochemical compatiblllty are also addressed. Removing deteriorated concrete and replacing it with a repair material, even the best one. may result in accelerated reinforcing steel corrosion due to macrocell formation. In view of the serious and insidious nature of the corrosion of steel in concrete repair and repair failures, it is surprising that progress in this area has been so slow. The fact that the progress has been slow is probably attributable to some combination of the following:

1. Concrete repairs are a complex system of materials exposed to exterior and interior environments and their interaction (Fig. 3);

2. Fundamental guidance for addressing corrosion problems does not exist. The mechanism of passivation and corrosion of steel is poorly understood in complex repair environments. At this time, the whole area concerning "additional protection" of reinforcement in repair is subject to numerous speculations;

3. Corrosion of steel embedded in cement-based materials is a complex phenomenon Involving environmental, metallurgical, interfacial, and continuum consIderations. Most of the research in this area is being done by the civil engineering departments of universities where

few workers have knowledge outside their respective specIalties;

4. Industry and government agencies have limited their support of research that could lead to a resolution of the problem;

5. Most hope that repair problems can be resolved by

usingＢｨｩｧｨｾｰ･ｲｦｯｲｭ｡ｮ｣･Ｂ materials, corrosion inhibitors,

protective coating, or "belt and suspender" systems; and 6. Significant knowledge to design durable repairs already

exists in a relatively "quite refined state," as Mather stated." But the manner in which this knowledge is used is primitive.

Many areas need further studies, but the priorities must be given to:

• Relating testing to construction practices; • Resolving the complex issue of electrochemical

Incompatibility-risk of premature corrosion In

repaired structures; and

• Educating In the fIeld of concrete durability and repair. The ability to define the macro-environmental changes In a composite system caused by a repair is still needed. This ought to be a major challenge to applied research. The foggy issue of the response of the repaired structure to the changes exerted by the repaIr must be understood.

There Is an urgent need to know how to properly assess the nature and severity of the interior environment in the repair system, the possible changes inside the system, and the possible interaction of the repair with the exterior envIronment to get a reliable estimate of the service llfe of the repaired structure or the time to the next remedial action. One should then, from the analysis of environmental influences and repair system constitution, use guidance and criteria by which to select materials, protective systems, and repair methods that will, with a reasonable probability of success, andjn compliance with the budgetary limits for their project, give a repaired structure that will not prematurely fail. In extreme conditions, following the basics may be Insufficient to achieve the intended service life without additional protective measures. These measures can be taken in addition, but not as substitutes, for getting the basics right.

To create confidence in the technology, science should provide a basis on which prognoses of performance and longevity can be made. We have to be able to evaluate the repair materials In such a reproducible way as to be confident when specifying and using them. At the same time, our scientific understanding should broaden so that practical exploitation Is soundly based.

Ifthis task is reached, we will be better able to make intelligent adjustments when deviations in performance

are experienced.

SUGGESTED INITIATIVES

As we dIscussed previously, a lack of attention to condition evaluation, design objectives and details, and

poor construction practices cause the majority of faults and problems in concrete repair field. Unless the designer and the artisan are skilled at their jobs, the great part of the money spent in developing Improved performance materials is wasted.

Therefore, it is necessary to approach the improvement in rehabilitation/repair performance in two stages. Stage I must address the most serious problem at hand-reduction of desIgn and worker errors. The success in this stage can only be achieved by improved education and training of ail Involved in the concrete rehabilitation/ repair process. ACI, fCR!, universities, and others must take the leadership position in achieving this.

Stage 2 then will address the Introduction of improved performance materials for the intended use. The success of this stage will be possible only when Stage I is complete and the Incidence of errors is greatly minimized. The attempt to Introduce Stage 2 before or simultaneously with Stage I will simply divert attention from more critical issues and will most likely hold back (rather than help) the achievement of the desirable repair durability.

A reasonable route forward, therefore, seems to be to look for radical changes in education, design, and construction practices, and for Incremental improvements in materials.

The other suggested initiatives are:

• A sustained, objective, and ambitious research and development program directed to continually iearning more-In a basic sense-about the fundamentals of concrete and concrete repair behavior and all of its ramifications;

• A truly effective and sustained education program, geared to the needs of technical, semi-technical, and journeyman participants in repairing concrete; • A highly professional textbook on concrete repair

engineering; and

• Anunrestrained, cooperative, and unselfish atmosphere of coordination between all professional, technical, and industrial organizations and societies.

In achieving cost-effective durable concrete repair projects, we must combine a fundamental understanding of the deformability of materials and the deterioration processes, derived from short-term laboratory studies, with long-term data from field structures including good and bad performances. We will need to develop standards, change design practices, material specifications, contract procedures, and site practices. Our success in the repair field may depend on our ability to resolve the controversies, to differentiate sense from nonsense.

To finish on a positive note-the authors are convinced that the trend in concrete repair field has been slow but always forward moving. There are promising activities at work to change the progress in this field from "pedestrian" to "high speed." There is hope that these combined. activities may be a springboard for substantial progress. AndIfwe are in agreement that the future is controlled

64 JANUARY2004 / ConcretelnternaUonel

by the amount of work yet undone, then the future of concrete repair is assured.

To all who will contribute future discussions

concerning the issues raised In this article, the authors express their thanks and their hope that all differences of view are dispassionate and Impersonal. Out of the exchange of different experiences and viewpoints comes increased knowledge and better understanding. It Is hoped that such will be the outcome here with respect to improving the performance of rehabilitated/repaired concrete structures.

Relerences

1. Mays, G., and Wilkinson, W, "Polymer Repairs to Concrete:

Their Influence on Structural Performance,"Concrete Durability,

Katharine and Bryant Mather International Conference, SP-IOO, V. 1,

J.M. Scanlon, ed., American Concrete Institute,ｆ｡ｲｭｩｮｾｯｮ Hills, MI, 1987, pp. 351-375.

2. British Cement Association, "Development of an Holistic Approach to Ensure the Durability of New Concrete Construction,"

Final Report to the Department of the Environment,BeA,

Crowthorne, UK, October 1997, 81pp.

3. Paterson, AC" "The Structural Engineer in Content,"Structural Engineer,V. 62A, No. 11, 1984, pp. 335-342.

4. Urreta,J.I.,"Pathology Investigation of the Whole Road Bridges of a Region: Methodology and Correlations,"Proceedings of Structural Faults and Repair-93, V. 1, 1993, pp. 13-22.

5. Hauser,R.,"Lessons from European Failures,"Concrete International,V. 1, No. 12, Dec. 1979, pp. 21-25.

6. Fraczek,J.,"ACI Survey of Concrete Structure Errors,"Concrete International,V. 1, No. 12,Dec.1979, pp. 14-20.

7. King, N. P., "Efficient Concreting Practice: A Review of Current Procedures,"Proceedings of International Conference Concrete-2000,

E&FN Spon, 1993.

8. Hoff, G. C., "President's Memo,"Concrete International,V. 15, No.8,Aug.ＱＹＹＳＬｰｰＮｾＮ

9. Engineering News-Record,editorial, Dec. 1, 1988.

10. Mather,B.,"Realizing the Potential of Concrete as a Construc-tion Material,"Proceedings of the International Conference,Sheffield, England, 1999, pp. 1-10.

Selected for reader Interest by the editors.

Alexander M. Vaysburd, FACI, is a principal ofVaycon Consulting, a Baltimore, MD-based consulting firm that specializes in concrete and concrete repair technology. He is also an associate professor at Laval University, Quebec City, QC, Canada. In

'996, he was awarded ACi's Wason Medal

for Most Meritorious Paper. In 2000,

Vaysburdreceived two ACI recognitions: the Cedric Willson Award and the Construction Practice Award.

Peter H. Emmons. FACI, is President and CEO of the Structurai Group. He is presently the Chair of the Strategic Development Council. Past President of ICRI, and Chair of ACI Committee 364,

Concrete Rehabilitation. in2000,he

received ACl's Arthur R. Anderson Award for outstanding contributions to concrete technology and also was a co-recipient of the ACI Construction Practice Award.

ACI member Noel P. Mailvaganam is a principal research scientist with the National Research Council (NRC) of Canada. Prior to joining NRC in '988, he was the Director of Research for Master BuilderTechnologies Canada and the Vice President of Research and Development for Sternsan Ltd. He is the author and co-author of numerous papers in the concrete repair field.

James E. McDonald, FACi, was instrumental in the development of the Repair, Evaluation, Maintenance, and Rehabilitation (REMR) research program, a major Corps of Engineers study to develop effective and affordable technology for the evaluation and repair of civil works structures. He is a Fellow and Past President of iCRI and Chair ofTRRC. McDonald received ACl's Wason Medal for Most Meritorious Paper in 1996.

ACI member Benoit Bissonnette is an associate professor at Laval University. He is actively involved in research on durability properties of repair materials. He is the author and co-author of more

than60technical papers in the concrete

materials field. Bissonnette is also active In various professional organizations such as ICRI and RILEM.

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